The End & the Beginning

I was trying to decide how much background I had to give to this movie analogy to start the sermon.

But just in case you're not familiar with movie stars, Will Smith is a very tall, muscular African-American actor who often acts in action films.

And Tom Cruise is a very short, white guy who often acts in movies, often as an action hero.

I don't know, probably on stilts or something like that.

So they don't sort of show how short he is.

Anyway, there's this couple, true story, this couple, quite a few years ago, in fact it was the year 2004.

They decided that the two big movies that were at the time was Collateral, starring Tom Cruise, and I, Robot, starring Will Smith.

Collateral, modern day movie about a cab driver who picks up a hitman.

Then, I, Robot, in the future, futuristic things, fighting robots, the whole thing.

The I, Robot movie stars Will Smith.

The other movie, Tom Cruise.

They said, we're going to go out and see which one of the two movies we'll see.

I don't know which one of the two movies we'll see.

Let's see the Tom Cruise movie.

The woman says, yeah, I really like Tom Cruise.

Let's go see the Tom Cruise movie.

And so the guy gets the tickets.

True story.

The two of them go into the movie.

The movie starts about 45 minutes into the movie.

The woman says to the man, this is a very, very odd Tom Cruise movie.

He hasn't shown up in the movie at all.

They were sitting in the I, Robot movie.

And it took the woman 45 minutes to realize that she wasn't watching a Tom Cruise movie set in present day North America,

but watching a futuristic film starring Will Smith.

And they had some words afterwards because he'd sort of just unilaterally made the last minute decision that he'd rather see I, Robot, and didn't tell her.

But it's funny that she was able to sit there for 45 minutes puzzling through why this futuristic science fiction movie starring Will Smith was actually a Tom Cruise movie.

Now, I mention that because one of the things is that we actually always sort of understand that we live our lives in terms of some overarching story.

And things called worldviews are just a different sort of different ways to understand an overarching type of story.

And so maybe our overarching story is, you know, you die, that's it.

So basically, since when you die, that's it, you just sort of have to grab as many toys or just sort of get what you want in this life.

Enjoy every moment as you have because you're just going to die and that's it.

Maybe it's that you're going to end up, you know, merging with God.

But there's a variety of different stories.

And it really, really matters that we understand the story, that if there is, in fact, a true story that we can be in.

And if we sort of think we're in one story when we're in another story, then it means we're going to always be sort of not quite getting what's going on.

Things in reality and things in life aren't going to sort of fit or make sense.

And I think that's a small sort of an example of that, apart from the Tom Cruise thing.

I, the other day I was in a, I was in a Starbucks and I happened to be sitting by a chair that had, had a plug.

And I could see this young woman, she'd just gotten a table and she was trying to see if her computer cord would be long enough to get into the plug.

And I noticed her distress and I offered to trade places with her.

And she said, you sure?

I said, yeah, I use this spectacular ancient invention called paper that doesn't require any batteries.

And, uh, cause I, I do all my sermon notes in a book.

In fact, in this book, uh, the way I work it is I, I make all my notes.

If you're ever to steal the book, you'd see my notes begin, uh, sort of, um, back and back and back here.

I make my notes, I put my reflections, et cetera.

And then eventually I put my outline all, all in the same book.

Uh, but when I'm working on several sermons at the same time, uh, which I'm doing right now because I'm doing some pre-work on 1 Thessalonians 5,

then occasionally in the midst of all of these notes, I'll, I'll make a little note at the top of the page.

Uh, and it let me know that I'm actually in that page working on another text.

So just yesterday I'm in the Starbucks trying to finish my, put my sermon together.

And I'm, I'm going through, I'm going from page to page to page.

And I come to a page and I'm starting to figure out, I'm looking at these notes and it says, um,

forgiveness is key to a choice between fight and flight.

Verse 13, verse 3, verse 15, and evil.

Forgiveness means a type of death that was sacrificed.

And I'm looking in Revelation chapter 22, verses 3 and 15.

Revelation 22:3

And I'm thinking to myself, how on earth did I get that from that?

Like, what was I doing?

And then I look at the next notes, you know, verse 1 and verse 11,

encourage and build up and the tension and superiority.

And I'm like, how on earth does that get in Revelation?

And then I realize I'm looking at my notes for 1 Thessalonians 5.

And, um, and, and, and, and that's what often happens in life.

That, um, um, it's one of the things that, that for Christians, it's partly how you grow as a Christian,

is that there's a whole pile of stories going on in the world.

And these stories that go on in the world are trying to help you to understand your life

and the meaning of your life and the purpose and the direction of your life.

And Jesus isn't just somebody who comes into your life

and sort of adds a little bit of extra flavor or value to your life.

Jesus is part of a different story.

And not only then, so many of us, when we come to faith in Jesus,

it begins with us just sort of coming to a faith in Jesus.

Uh, for myself, it was just this sense that there was a, an incompleteness and a lack in my life.

And I had this sense of Jesus as a type of fullness.

And I, I needed that type of fullness.

And I knew that, that by coming to him, that, that I just needed to come to him for some type of fullness.

But, but partly what happens as we come to faith in Jesus is that we slowly start to understand

that Jesus is part of a large story.

And that God wants us to understand that story because it's the true story.

And that true story is the one that will actually make sense of our experience.

That it will make sense of, of the mystery of suffering.

That it will make sense of the mystery of sacrifice.

That it will make sense of the mystery of death.

That it will make sense of the mystery of marriage and of relationships.

That it will make sense of the mystery of, of the body.

It will make sense of the mystery of sex.

That it will make sense of the, of the mystery of good and evil.

that it will make sense of the mystery of beauty and of longings and of yearnings,

that it's not just that Jesus sort of comes in and gives us a little bit of dose of peace and religion

as we live the different stories that are going on in the world,

but he slowly, as we draw closer to him and he gets a greater hold of us,

he tries to help us to understand that the world's stories have parts in it that are true,

but parts that are very, very confused or maybe even wrong,

and that there is this different story, a true story that we're in the middle of that Jesus is central to,

that once we start to understand, then we start to understand these other mysteries of suffering,

of sex, of death, of sacrifice, of family, of the body, the mystery of money, the mystery of meaning.

And we've been going through the book of Revelation,

and Revelation chapter 22 is the very, very end of the Bible,

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

and it's, Revelation is the last book in the Bible,

and Revelation 22 is the very, very last bit of the book of Revelation in the whole Bible.

And so it tells us the last bit of the story,

and it does so in such a way that even as it tells us the last bit of the story,

it communicates a bit of a sense of the mystery of the person, of the face, of the body,

of our longings and of our yearnings.

So it would be a great help to me if you would turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 22,

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

Revelation chapter 22, and we'll look very briefly at this last, very, very, very last piece of the Bible,

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

which is all part of telling the overarching story of the Bible,

which Christians believe is not just a true story for Christians, but is truly true,

and it helps us to make sense and understand human experience and human life,

that it starts to help to make meaning out of our life.

Revelation chapter 22, beginning at the first verse.

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

And, yeah.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,

flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Through the middle of the street of the city.

Sorry, I didn't read that very well.

I'll start again.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,

flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

It was flowing through the middle of the street of the city,

also on either side of the river, the tree of life with its 12 kinds of fruit,

yielding its fruit each month.

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

No longer will there be anything accursed,

but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it,

and the servants will worship him.

They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads,

and night will be no more.

They will need no light of lamp or sun,

for the Lord God will be their light,

and they will reign forever and ever.

And we'll just sort of pause there.

And actually, in the way that the book of Revelation is written,

in some ways this is the end of the book of the Revelation with verse 5.

After verse 5, there's no more sort of,

and then I saw and then I heard,

and there's no more series of visions.

It's as if the story,

this is the last vision with verse 5.

And then verses 6 to 21,

it's a little bit like,

depending on your age,

like for us,

maybe we have our son or our daughter come,

and maybe they're going to go off on a trip.

Maybe they have their grandchildren with them.

And it's really easy when they're going off on a trip

for Louise and me to say,

oh, did you forget the granola bars?

Do you have the water?

Do you have enough diapers?

Don't forget to call.

Like a whole range of things.

And in some ways,

that's how the book of Revelation ends with verse 5.

And verses 6 to 21,

it's as if Jesus and the angels are saying to John,

okay, before you go,

don't forget this.

Don't forget this.

Don't forget this.

Don't forget this.

Do you have this?

And it's trying to summarize these last little things,

but this is the last vision.

And here, if you put it up on the screen, Andrew,

here's the thing.

In the city is a garden,

and in the garden,

I will see God face to face,

and then the new beginning will begin.

What's happening in verses 1 to 5

is that in the city is a garden,

and in the garden,

I will see God face to face,

and then the new beginning will begin.

That's how the book of Revelation ends.

About two or three weeks ago,

I talked about how two of the big images

to help us to understand heaven

is the marriage of the church,

the bride of Christ, to Jesus,

and then the other thing is an image of the feast.

And then last week,

we looked a little bit how,

in the end,

what's described is definitely not

that human beings will be like angels

or be like spirits,

but that God brings in a new heaven and earth.

And he doesn't bring in a new heaven and a new earth.

He brings in a new heaven and earth.

It implies that there's a type of a unity

or a mixing or a fitting together

of what we now understand as heaven

and what we now understand as earth,

that the two of them will somehow be at one somehow,

that they'll fit with each other,

they'll be different,

but at the same time,

there'll be a type of a peacefulness between them,

and an ability for us as human beings

to both be in heaven and in earth

and still have bodies.

And that the fundamental image

of what this new heaven and new earth,

the new heaven and new earth will be like,

is that we human beings will live in the city,

the city of God.

And the city is described as being immense.

And I talked about how what the Bible

is trying to let us know

is that at the end of the end of the end,

which is also the beginning,

that I will live in this city.

You will live in this city.

Those who are redeemed by Jesus

will live in this city.

And I will be a neighbor

to others who live in the city.

And I will be a neighbor.

They will,

and there will be neighborhoods,

so to speak,

so there's,

we all have neighbors,

and God will be everybody's neighbor.

So that it's not as if you can move

to some distant suburb

to get as far away from God

as you possibly can.

But that the new heaven and earth

will be a city where people live,

where we have neighbors,

where we will be a neighbor ourselves,

and where everybody has God

as his neighbor.

And then the final part of this vision

is that in the city is a garden.

In the garden,

I will see God face to face,

and then the new beginning will begin.

And if you go back later on

as part of your private devotions

and read Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

you'll see that many parts

of Revelation chapter 22,

Revelation 22:1–5

verses 1 to 5,

are paired or matched

with what goes on in Genesis 3.

That the things that God will take away

are the things that come into human life

as a result of Adam and Eve's fall.

That at the end of Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden,

and an angel is there to stop them

from the tree of life.

And here we see that the tree of life

has now become trees of life,

and that the trees of life

are accessible to everybody in the city,

and that we will eat of its fruit.

And it's a wonderful, wonderful image

of what it is that we're called for,

what the end of the story is.

That we will live,

that God originally intended us

with all of the power

of that story of Genesis 3,

that we could be

with other human beings,

and you could be completely

and utterly naked,

and be completely

and utterly unashamed.

That the things that characterize

our human life right now,

that on one hand,

we know they characterize us,

but on the other hand,

we know that it shouldn't characterize us.

On one hand,

we know that there's walls

and masks that we make

for other people.

At the same time,

we know that there shouldn't be

walls or masks.

We have on one hand

a desire for walls or masks,

on the other hand,

a desire to have no walls or masks,

that what we understand

is really being loved,

is being able to be

with another person

or a friend.

Friendship or love

is being able to be

with another person

where some of the walls

and some of the masks

that characterize our lives

are let down

so that the other person

can see us

as we really are

and yet not turn away

in disgust or anger

or embarrassment

as they see us

as we really are.

And so here we see

that at the end

of the end of the end,

which is also truly

a beginning,

that I will be able

to stand,

not based on my own righteousness,

but on what Jesus

has done for me,

that I will stand

in the city

where I have neighbors

and God is my neighbor

and there will be a garden

and I will be in that garden

and I can look at God

face to face

and I will no longer

have any masks

and I will no longer

have any walls

and I will be completely

and fully known

and I will begin

the eternal quest

and journey

of knowing

the unending God.

And if I stand

before God

face to face,

I stand before God

face to face

in a garden

not by myself

but with other human beings

who are likewise

seeing God

without masks

and without walls

and are able

to stand there

unashamed

and we do that together

which means

we start

through seeing God

face to face

to be able to see

each other face to face.

You see,

even in this story,

we sort of have

this understanding

that it starts to make

a sense of why it is

that the whole

biblical story

of us being fallen,

of evil coming

into the world,

of us being bent,

of our contradictory

desires to build

walls for protection

yet at the same time

that we would have

no walls,

to build masks

to protect us

but at the same time

that there would be

no masks

and it pictures

that day

when we will see

God face to face

and we will stand

before him

unashamed.

And the wonderful

thing about this

image,

look,

it's a very,

very funny thing.

Look at verse 2,

the last part of it,

the leaves of the tree

are for the healing

of the nations

and heaven is the great

healing.

I know a man

who was sick

and he had cancer

and he was praying

that he would be healed

of this cancer

and I'm going to probably

get this story wrong,

I should have written it down

rather than just trying

to remember it

from my notes

but he said that

he was going to be healed.

He believed that

he was going to be healed.

He believed that

the chemotherapy

would work

so he would be healed

very slowly

or he believed

that God could do

a miracle

he could be healed quickly

or he would die

and he would be healed

finally

and fully

and eternally

but either way

he knew he was going

to be healed

and heaven is always

pictured as a place

of healing,

of health,

of life,

of light.

that that is what

heaven will be like

but here's the thing

with the nations.

When we get to heaven

we won't all be white.

We won't all be black.

We won't all be Asian.

We won't all be First Nation.

Like we won't be,

we won't all become

one color.

Like what makes us

as human beings

right now

is a combination

of community

and angularity.

That's what makes us

human beings

right now.

A combination

of community

and angularity.

By angularity

I mean

it's like a snowflake

that I've been told

that all snowflakes

are different

and snowflakes

are angular

and we all know

that we have

pointy bits

and part of the

problem

and challenge

of marriage

is how do you get

pointy bits

of two pointy

angular people

to actually become one

and some things

fit well

and some things

don't fit very well

and that's part

of the challenge

of marriage.

It's part of the

challenge of friendship.

It's part of the

challenge of churches.

It's part of the

challenge of community

that we're all

angular individuals

which mean that

because we're

completely and utterly

ourselves

and completely angular

that there's

we're a whole

mass of

pointy bits

but at the same time

we don't speak

six billion languages

or however many

human beings

there are on the

planet

that there's

something communal

about us

and something

angular

and we see this

the word that's

translated in

as nations

is really

the word

which should

really be

translated as

people group.

It's from

where we get

ethnic from

and so

this even

in heaven

we see that

in some ways

George will be

in heaven

I will be in

heaven with

all my

angularity

all my

recognizable

angularity

but without

masks and

without walls

and I will be

able to see

God face to

face

I will be

able to

stand in

his presence

and I will

stand in

all my

perfected

angularity

and yet

there will be

this sense

of community

because I am

part of

one nation

that

Canadian

nation

that particular

people group

and I will

be there

with my

brothers and

sisters from

North Korea

and China

and Iran

and Kenya

and the

United States

I will be

there with

hipsters who

become Christians

and street

people who

become Christians

and billionaires

who become

Christians

and Down

Syndrome

and so even

in this picture

of the Garden

of Eden

is now in

a city

and that

the tree of

life is there

and we

partake of

it

that what

we actually

experience

throughout all

of eternity

is a

on one hand

it's a type

of a growing

but on the

other hand

it's a type

of a healing

that it only

means that

there's more

health that

comes into

me

that's the

point of

the image

that right

now on this

side of the

grave

that what

comes into

me in a

sense is

more death

as I

age

but in

heaven what

comes into

me as I

age in

quotation marks

is more

health

and as I

receive more

and more

health and

more and

more life

I remain

angular and

I remain in

a community

and I see

God face to

face

and that

friends

is what

we were

made and

designed for

you see

the Christian

story which

we believe

is the true

story is that

God made

all things

good

put us in

the garden

that human

beings because

of our

particular unique

place in the

entire created

order we chose

to separate

ourselves from

God to turn

away from God

to become

God's ourselves

that's what's

described in

Genesis chapter

three and

by so we do

doing so we

became bent

not broken

but bent

fallen

no longer

perfect

you can see

glimpses of

perfection but

at the same

time that we

are bent

now turned

away from

God and

turned in

in ourselves

and that all

of from

Genesis chapter

four right

up to the

end of chapter

Malachi is the

age of promise

that God will

come and do

something to

deal with our

bentness that

we cannot

possibly fix

ourselves

and the

gospels are

the story of

God keeping

his promise

and God

keeps his

promise in

a surprising

way

actually could

you put the

fifth point

up now

jump ahead

God keeps

his promise

in a very

surprising

way

the cross

of Christ

is how the

tree of

life comes

into a

fallen world

in Genesis

chapter three

we are excluded

from the tree

of life

and the angel

stops us from

coming

and what the

gospels tell us

in a sense

what Revelation

22 tells us

is that the

cross of Christ

is how the

tree of life

comes into a

fallen world

and what God

first deals with

is our

fundamental

separation

from him

and he's

going to

have his

people live

in this

time that

goes from

in a sense

Acts 1

until

Revelation

19

or whatever

which is the

already

not yet

where on

one hand

because when I

partake of

Christ

I am partaking

of the tree

of life

when I put my

faith and trust

in Christ

I am

partaking of

the tree of

life

when I

when I

when I

come to

Jesus

I come

to the

tree of

life

that

that makes

me clean

that gives

me health

that restores

my relationship

with God

that the

cross of

Christ is the

tree of

life

come into a

fallen world

in Revelation

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

chapter 22

the tree of

life will

not look

like the

cross

but the

tree of

life in

our fallen

world

is the

cross of

Christ

and then

Acts chapter

Acts 1 · chapter mention

1 right up

to Revelation

Revelation 19 · chapter mention

chapter 19

if in a sense

the story

begins with

God making

a created

perfect

created

order

which means

that we

have a

proper type

of longing

and yearning

for God

a proper

type of

longing

and yearning

for good

it means

that when

evil comes

in that

all evil

is a

bent

good

that evil

in a sense

has no

positive

existence

that all

evil is a

bent

misdirected

good

it's a

it's an

emptiness

of good

a place

where good

should be

where it

has been

removed

it's a

but it's

always

a bent

good

and then

the

promise

of

deliverer

the deliverer

God keeps

his promise

in the

gospels

and now

we live

in this

period of

time

called

the already

not yet

but then

God

finishes

his promises

with the

coming of

his son

a second

time

and the

book of

revelation

describes

both how

we live

in the

already

not yet

but how

that

final

coming

of the

son

will appear

and how

he will

look

and the

closing

message of

the book

of revelation

that we are

going to see

in a moment

is that

Jesus can

come at

any time

one of the

reasons

that I

throughout

these 28

weeks

that I've

been preaching

through the

book of

revelation

that I preach

in such

a way

that I've

not

focused

on all

the minute

little

supposed

details

of what

it will

be at

the last

time

because I

think

we'll see

in a moment

when we

finish reading

the book

of revelation

the message

that Jesus

wants to

communicate

to us

in the book

of revelation

is to always

be ready

for him

to return

and never

to have

this sense

well we don't

have to worry

about it

because the

beast hasn't

arisen

or we never

have to worry

about that

because the

false prophet

hasn't

arisen

arisen

but always

be this

sense

that God

who is

sovereign

that his

son could

come at

any time

and he

brings in

the new

heaven and

earth

and we

will dwell

and it

will be

as if there

is the

marriage of

the church

with Jesus

it will be

as if there

is this

unending

feast

it will be

as if we

live in a

city

and in the

center of

the city

there is a

garden

in the garden

there is a

tree of

life

and we

will recognize

as we

partake of

the tree

of life

that it

is of the

exact same

substance

that we

receive from

Jesus

because the

cross of

Christ is

the tree

of life

in a

fallen

world

and then

from the

point of

view

of

Revelation

Revelation 22:5

chapter 22

verse 5

it is the

end

it is the

end of

the visions

but for us

it is but a

beginning

Revelation

22 5

beckons and

invites us

to go in

the words of

C.S. Lewis

farther up

and deeper

in

and we

will do

that with

others in

bodies

and we

get a

small glimpse

of what our

heavenly bodies

will be like

from the

miracles of

new creation

the gospel

where there

will be a

completely and

utterly different

relationship of

our soul to

our body and

our soul and

body to the

world around

us where we

will not long

for bad

things we

will not long

for bent

things and

just as Jesus

was able to

walk on

water in

some ways

that's a

picture of

how we

will relate

to the

natural

order and

just as

Jesus is

able to

appear through

walls in

some ways

that is a

picture of

what it

will be for

us in

this new

heaven and

the new

heaven and

earth and

just as

Jesus on

the mount

of

transfiguration

was completely

and utterly

transfigured and

transformed before

the disciples in

the scene with

glory in

some way that

describes that

will describe us

describe us and

our eternal

destiny in

Jesus when

we partake of

the cross of

Christ which

is how the

tree of

life comes

into a

fallen world

I only have

a few more

minutes left

because of our

time constraints

so I want to

just let's look

at these last

six verses

the last 16

verses I'll just

read through them

very quickly and

give you a few

points if you

could put the

second point up

now Andrew that

would be great

be mindful of

this point as I

read that most

of the rest of

chapter of verses

6 to 21 wants

to communicate this

to us that Jesus

is the alpha and

the omega the

Lord and the

Lamb true and

trustworthy and his

word is true and

trustworthy so I am

learning to trust

and keep his word

written that's

what that's what

is being communicated

these last few

verses that Jesus

is the alpha and

the omega the

Lord and the

Lamb true and

trustworthy and his

word is true and

trustworthy so I am

learning to trust and

keep his word

written this is how

it goes and he

said to me these

words are

trustworthy and

true and the

Lord the God of

the spirits of the

prophets has sent

his angel to show

his servants what

must soon take

place and behold

I am coming

soon blessed is

the one who

keeps the words

of the prophecy

of this book I

John am the one

who heard and

saw these things

and when I heard

and saw them I

fell down to

worship at the

feet of the

angel who showed

them to me but

he said to me you

must not do that

so you might I

am a fellow servant

with you and your

brothers the

prophets and with

those who keep the

words of this book

worship God we

don't worship a

church we don't

worship the emperor

we don't worship

an institution

we don't worship

rituals we don't

worship a prayer

book we don't

worship the

Bible we don't

worship angels we

don't worship

politicians we

don't worship

ideologies we

don't worship

philosophies we

don't worship the

nation we don't

worship our

ethnic group

we don't worship

our social class

we don't worship

our education we

don't worship our

money we don't

worship our power

We don't worship our parents.

We don't worship our ancestors.

Worship God.

Worship God.

Worship God.

Verse 10.

They said to me,

Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book,

for the time is near.

Let the evildoers still do evil,

and the filthy still be filthy,

and the righteous still do right,

and the holy still be holy.

The heart of this idea that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega,

the Lord and the Lamb, true and trustworthy,

and his word is true and trustworthy,

so I am learning to trust and keep his word written,

is that the Bible is not for the anointed.

It's not for the Illuminati.

It's not for the brilliant.

It's not for the university educated.

It's not for those who have high IQs.

It's not for Canadians.

It's not for white people.

It's not for Europeans.

The Bible is an open revelation.

It's an open secret.

Public truth.

And Christians have always understood

that God's desire is that these words

can be translated into the heart language

of every person on the planet.

To be a really, truly good Jew,

you need to learn Hebrew.

To be a truly good Muslim,

you need to learn 7th century Arabic.

We as Christians have to understand

that we have to translate the Bible

into the heart language of the peoples of the planet

because God desires his revelation

to be an open revelation of public truth

for the servant girl

and the woman who owns a billion-dollar company,

for the guy who fixes your tap

and the guy who invents taps.

It needs to be an open truth.

To put up the next thing,

Jesus says to his church,

go,

and the Spirit-filled church says,

come.

That's sort of,

just sort of,

I'm having a,

I'm running out of time.

I have to sort of put them all together.

How do the nations all know

to come to the guard to be healed?

Because the church goes.

The church goes.

And when we go,

we say,

come to Jesus.

That's going to continue reading.

Verse 12.

Behold,

I am coming soon,

bringing my recompense with me

to repay everyone for what he has done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the first and the last,

the beginning and the end.

Blessed are those who wash their robes

so that they may have the right

to the tree of life

and that they may enter the city by the gates.

I'm going to talk about this in a moment.

Outside of the dogs and sorcerers

and the sexually immoral

and the murderers and idolaters

and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

I, Jesus,

have sent my angel to testify to you

about these things for the churches.

I am the root and the descendant of David,

the bright morning star.

Here's the thing for that point.

The spirit and the bride say,

come.

And let everyone who hears say,

come.

And let the one who is thirsty,

come.

The one who desires to take the water

of the life without price,

take it.

See here in verse 17,

the spirit and the bride say,

come.

It's this idea that we go to the nations.

We go to the people groups.

We go and we try to prayerfully discern

their heart language.

And when we go,

we tell them,

come to Jesus.

That's the message

and that's the task of the true church.

It's what the Holy Spirit does.

The Holy Spirit works through scripture,

works through fallen,

incomplete,

finite human beings like us

to say to the world,

come.

And when people hear about Jesus,

God's heart and desire

is that we will say,

Jesus,

come.

That put up the next slide,

please.

The heart of God is revealed.

His heart is that I will cry out to him.

So be it.

Come,

Lord Jesus.

Come,

Lord Jesus.

Look at verse 20.

He who testifies to these things says,

surely I am coming soon.

Amen.

Come,

Lord Jesus.

Come,

Lord Jesus.

It's the cry of a person's heart

to become a Christian,

to be born again,

is to say,

so be it.

So your word is true.

Come,

Lord Jesus,

into my life.

It's how we grow in discipleship

to understand in the context of our job

and our family

and our relationships

to say,

come,

Lord Jesus.

Come,

Jesus as Lord.

Jesus means God saves.

You who save,

who comes from God,

come and save and be my Lord.

Come into my situation today.

Come into my finances.

Come into my sexuality.

Come into my community.

Come into my relationships.

Come into my friendships.

Come into my memories.

Come into my dreams for the future.

Come into my strengths.

Come into my weaknesses.

Come into my shame.

Come and come,

Jesus,

to be the Savior

and come to be the Lord.

So be it.

Come,

Lord Jesus.

You see,

the evangelistic heart of God

is said,

is that even if some of us

might say,

George,

this is,

this is,

you know,

when it talks about

sorcerers and sexually immoral

and murderers

and idolaters

and everyone who loves

and practices falsehood,

George,

that's describing me.

But I,

the world doesn't understand

these things

as any of them

as being bad.

They,

in fact,

they think it's sort of normal

to be interested in spells

and,

and,

and so,

are the words of the Bible

just creating distance

between me and,

me and God?

It's possible for us

to read the Bible

in such a way

that distance is created,

but God desires us

to hear the words

of the Bible

and our response

is not to be,

God doesn't want to have

anything to do with me.

The response

that God desires

is that we will say,

Amen,

come Lord Jesus.

That's the response

that God desires us

to have,

to say,

Amen,

come Lord Jesus.

Please stand.

Father,

we give you thanks

and praise

that,

um,

you have made

us

so that

when we come

to faith in Jesus

that we move

towards,

that you,

you,

you bring that

final healing

towards us

that you are

preparing us

for an eternal

weight of glory,

that you are

preparing us

to be able to stand

before you

face to face,

uh,

unashamed

with no walls

and no dividers,

no masks,

that you are

preparing us

to spend,

uh,

eternity

with you

as our neighbor

face to face

with other

neighbors.

We give you

thanks and praise

that you are

calling us

to this eternal

life in you.

We ask,

Father,

that you fan

in flames

within us

a longing

and yearning

to know you,

to see you,

to see you

face to face,

to long

and yearn

for that day

when there are

no more masks,

when there is

no more death,

when there is

nothing left

that is bent,

but that we

partake of your

goodness in all

of its fullness.

And this we ask

in Jesus' name,

your Son

and our Savior.

Amen.